Racing Iditarod
About 1,000 miles, or roughly the distance from the Washington Monument to Miami Beach. The course alternates every year between northern and southern routes. Odd years use the southern route.
Climbing Everest
The trek on the most common route, South Col, requires 7.5 to 8.5 miles of hiking/climbing from Base Camp to the peak at 29,029 feet. But it's not the miles, it's the altitude. The 1.5 miles from Camp 4 to the summit usually take eight to 12 hours.
DAYS
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Iditarod: 9 to 17
Everest: 56 to 63
BIGGEST DANGERS
Iditarod: Extreme cold (average temperature range is 25 degrees F to -30); wind/loss of visibility; darkness; treacherous climbs
Everest: Altitude sickness; frostbite; temperatures that can vary in a day between 86 degrees F and -22 degrees F; avalanche
COST
Iditarod: Entry fee is $3,000, but the total cost to field a team is $12,000 to $20,000, not counting leasing, buying or breeding and training the dogs.
Everest: Adventure Consultants, the expedition Steve Watkins joined, charges $65,000, plus travel expenses such as airfare and hotels. This is in the typical range for a well-supported expedition.
SUCCESSES
Iditarod: 731 finshers, with no deaths
Everest: More than 4,000, with about 250 deaths
PRIZE
Iditarod: First place is $70,000 and prizes go 30 deep. Additional finishers get $1,049 each. The last finisher gets a red lantern, a traditional symbol of persistence.
Everest: For the rest of your life, you get to say you summited Everest.
