Of the dogsled races, its contemporary, the Iditarod is the better known. Both cover 1600kms of frozen terrain. In the case of the Quest it stretches from Whitehorse, the tiny capital of the Yukon to Fairbanks in the heart of the Alaskan interior. Notwithstanding that, of the two the Quest is widely acknowledged to be the more difficult.

The surprising aspect of the race is the unbelievable resilience and hardiness of the dogs. The most prevalent breed is the Alaskan Husky as opposed to its purebred Siberian variety. Their stamina is demonstrated by the ability to run all the way between check points which are up to 320 kms apart with tails still wagging as if it was a Sunday picnic jaunt.

The climb up Eagle Summit is one of the most notorious challenges of the Yukon Quest trail. High winds and whiteouts are common, and even in good weather mushers may have to lead the dogs up by hand, and then pull their loaded sleds up themselves.

The route of the Yukon Quest from Whitehorse to Fairbanks

Dogs straining to commence the adventure

A frozen competitor

The dogs wear booties and sometimes jackets to protect them from the cold

Dogs that have to be withdrawn for any reason are placed in these bags in order to keep them calm during the flight and not to keep them warm

Instead mushers face frostbite, sleep deprivation, isolation, and fear for the Yukon Quest is a daunting physical, emotional, and mental challenge even if conditions are conducive for sledding. Mushers spend two thirds of the race in dark. The long nights and the exhaustion brings its own perils: the mind plays mental tricks on the mushers. It is akin to hallucinating except that no narcotics are involved.