A Visit to the Red Centre of Australia

One of the most interesting and adventure-packed places I've ever visited is the famous Red Centre of Australia. Perhaps best known for being the home of Ayer's Rock – aka Uluru – the Red Centre is a fascinating mix of culture, history, and exploration. This is the true Outback, rugged, untamed, and with miles upon miles of open space. It is a place that every traveler should see, with landscapes that are humbling and awe inspiring at the same time.

Recently, my friend Richard Bangs visited the Red Centre and shared his experiences in a wonderful article published at the Huffington Post. Richard went to this remote region of Australia to take in all of the amazing sites for himself, and to go on a few adventures along the way as well. His travels took him on a camel trek into the Outback, hiking along some of the local trails, and into Alice Springs, the main outpost in this very wild part of the world.

Of course, many people come to the Red Centre simply to visit Uluru and climb to its summit. When the lands surrounding that iconic rock were returned to the Anangu Aboriginal tribe back in 1985, it was a stipulation in that they continue to allow visitors to climb to the top. But for the Anangu, Uluru is scared ground, and while they don't prohibit anyone from climbing it, they do go to great lengths to discourage it. On his visit, Richard – who has just returned from a climb up Cotopaxi in Ecuador – decided to respect the wishes of the Aboriginal and stay off the Rock.

In his article, and the video below, he shares a wealth of things to do while you are there that don't involve climbing Uluru. Trust me, there are plenty of other activities to keep you occupied. For instance, I'd recommend hiking the Larapinta Trail, a 223 km (138.5 mile) long path that passes through some of the most beautiful landscapes in the region. While you're there, also take a dip in the Finke River, widely considered the oldest in the world at 350-400 million years. Spend a few nights camping under the stars as well, as you'll rarely find a better night sky than in the Outback.

Video: Where in the World Are You? - Quest #89

Looking to test your geographical skills and travel knowledge today? If so, we have another edition of the Where in the World Are You? series from Richard Bangs. This time out, Richard takes us to some very iconic places, in a part of the world that is known for being remote and wild. Can you guess where he is at based on the clues that he provides? The landscapes in particular should be a dead giveaway for this location.

Video: Where in the World are You? Quest #55

It has been awhile since we've had a new "Where in the World are You?" video. Hosted by adventure travel guru Richard Bangs, this series of videos provides viewers with a set of clues, and challenges them to identify the location based on what they've seen. The travel destination depicted can be anywhere on the planet, which makes it fun to try to guess exactly where Richard is at any given time. The latest of these clips can be found below. Can you identify the place?

Must Read: The Good Guide Paradox by Richard Bangs

Legendary river guide and television host Richard Bangs has written a very thoughtful piece for HuffPo entitled "The Good Guide Paradox." The article not only examines the importance of having a good guide on expeditions to remote areas of the world, but also takes a very personal look at how those guides manage to become good at their jobs in the first place. 

The article begins by first mentioning the notorious 1996 spring climbing season on Everest, in which eight people were caught in a storm on the mountain and perished there. Amongst them was Rob Hall, who was widely considered one of the best mountain guides in the world at the time. But Richard asserts that in a bid to get good press (Hall was hosting Jon Krakauer for Outside magazine), Rob had several lapses in judgement that would ultimately cost him, and his client, their lives. In a quote from the article, Bangs says "He put his own self-interest ahead of his client's, and they both paid the price."

Those probably sound like harsh words, but Richard speaks from a place of experience. He goes on to recount a tale in which he made a similar decision that he would ultimately come to regret. At one point, Bangs ahas leading an expedition down the Baro River in Africa, and he allowed an inexperienced person to join the team, mostly because he was offering a substantial amount of money. It was enough money in fact that he could almost fund the entire expedition just on what this one client was offering alone. The promise of quick cash led to a clouding of judgement as well, and when disaster struck on the river, this wealthy, but inexperienced, client was lost. 

The tragedy sent Bangs into a tailspin, and for months he questioned many of the things that he had felt so strongly about prior to the expedition to the Baro. For a time, he turned his back on guiding and exploration altogether, as the entire experience left a bitter taste in his mouth. His own failure as a guide stung on numerous levels, and he no longer trusted the instincts that had served him well on many first descents and river trips in the past. 

It took a long time for Richard to recover, and it wasn't until he returned to the activities that he so dearly loved that he began to make sense of the situation. But it was then that he realized the "guide paradox" that is referenced in the title of the article. In order for a guide to become good at his or her job, they must first gain experience, and sometimes that experience will come as a result of bad judgement calls. As Bang himself says in the story, "you have to risk and fall down to get to that high place of judgment that is sound."

If you're looking for perspective on what separates good guides from poor ones, and what drives them to do the job they do, then this is certainly an article you don't want to miss. Richard has years of experience in the field, with rich stories to share. In this particular article, he shares a couple of very personal ones, as well as the lessons he learned along the way. There is something we can all learn from those experiences, whether we are serving as guides ourselves, or traveling with someone who is. 

Video: Where in the World are You? Quest #78

It has been a few weeks since we've had a new "Where in the World are You?" video from our friend Richard Bangs. He's been busy traveling the globe to places like Bosnia, Croatia, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. But, he did find time to fire off this latest video, which will once again challenge viewers to name the location from a series of clues. This time out, we'll travel to a place that truly lets you get up close and personal with some amazing creatures. See if you can name this destination.