Paragliding was never something that I had ever planned on doing. For a few reasons 1) I’m real afraid of heights. REAL afraid of heights. And 2) I didn’t realize this was a thing that people actually do. But when Brandon approached me with the idea and showed me some videos, for some reason I thought it seemed like a good idea. And it ended up being one of the best things I’ve ever experienced.
Paragliding in Boryeong
We went paragliding for my 31st birthday yesterday. And it could basically be summed up in one word: WOW. But because I can NEVER tell a short story (and because I want to share ALL the tips for those of you who are living in Korea and want to experience this), Imma write a lot more about it. Buckle up, folks.
First of all, the trip there was not one without adventure. Brandon’s coworker and his wife came to babysit the kids (thanks, Jonathan and Michelle!!!!) and then basically kicked us out to have a good time.
Boryeong is about a 2 hour drive from Camp Humphreys and we left with PLENTY of time to get there. But the we took a wrong exit which (as some of you have probably learned) is a huge mistake when it comes to Korean expressways. It ended up putting us 45 minutes out of the way. On the plus side, we got to go over a really cool bridge and see some little islands, which would have been way cooler if we weren’t so worried about missing our appointment. I ended up being able to reach out to the company to let them know what happened and they were totally fine with it – they told us we’d just go with the later group.
Once we got to our destination, we had a frustrating few minutes of trying to confirm our reservation and pay for the remaining balance for it. The woman working there didn’t speak any English, but was so patient as we used Papago and Google Translate to communicate. We are always amazed at the patience locals [usually] have with us when we struggle to communicate. Thanks to her patience, we got everything figured out and put on jumpsuits.
We waited a few minutes and then, before we knew it, we were hopping on a truck to head up the mountain – along with eight guys in the back of the truck with all the parachutes. And honestly, the ride up the mountain was insane. This was my first experience being in a car with a Korean driver and it was almost as thrilling as the paragliding.
The driver was consistently going 60 KPH in a 20 KPH area. And the roads were NARROW and for a good portion of the time there was a drop-off on at least one side of the road. But boy howdy did that man know how to handle that truck – probably because he does this 10 times a day.
When we got up to the top, there honestly wasn’t time for me to feel nervous. I had expected to be a MESS with nerves by the time we got to the top, but even as I was getting strapped onto my pilot, I didn’t really feel nervous. Even when they told me I would have to run with him down a steep slope before the parachute would carry us up… I didn’t feel nervous. Which is SO WEIRD for me. Because usually I’m a ball of nerves when it comes to, well, everything.
Seeing the Yellow Sea, Boryeong, the rice paddies, and the forest all in one glorious view was INCREDIBLE. And the best part was that there was no fear. Zero fear. Which is AMAZING because I am VERY afraid of heights. I just kept looking out and thinking, “Who does this!? This is my life!???” And I don’t mean that in a braggy way – I just love to soak in those moments in life that make me so grateful to be living it!
It was weirdly relaxing being up there. I honestly could have taken a nap. Ha! And then out of nowhere, my pilot says, “Spin!” And I was like, “Come again?” And he yells “Extreme!” And starts spinning us back and forth and side to side and in all directions, all while laughing. Meanwhile, I’m losing any sense of what is up or down and getting REALLY worried that the Kimbap (which, by the way, SMELLS terrible, but tasted pretty good) I had eten an hour before was going to come back up. At one point I could feel myself blacking out and realized I was holding my breath. I focused on my breathing and was able to avoid that little catastrophe. And then the spinning stopped and I really did think I was going to puke.
Thankfully, for me AND the pilot, I did not throw up. And fortunately, for me, we landed about a minute after the “Spin Extreme Paragliding.” Unfortunately, however, I was still a little out of sorts when we landed, so instead of keeping my legs up, I put them down and ended up crash-landing on my side. It didn’t hurt at all, but the pilot was a little concerned, until he realized I was laughing. And also trying not to puke. Brandon thought I was legit going to barf, and so did I for a minute. I’m not saying that you should crash-land when paragliding. But I’m also not NOT saying that – because let’s be totally honest: the picture of our crash-landing is something I’m going to be laughing about for a LONG time.
The nausea stuck around for about an hour after we had finished paragliding and it was the worst part of the entire experience. Still, I was amazed that we’d had the experience we had and I didn’t regret it. And I regretted it even less once the nausea passed completely and I could think clearly. Ultimately I decided that it was an INCREDIBLE experience and one that I would love to have again – although next time I’ll ask for no “spin extreme paragliding.”
Overall my birthday was incredible – really one of the most amazing birthdays to date. I can think of no better way to start out another year of life than with facing a fear of heights only to experience something TRULY incredible.
’til next time…
Ash
Tips for going paragliding in Boryeong
Booking your flight: We booked our flight by visiting paragliding-korea.com (click on link and it will take you directly to the flight we booked) and doing it all online. It’s all in English and was so easy to book. We scheduled our flight, paid our deposit, and we were ready to go!
Directions to the pickup location: We pasted 대한민국 충청남도 보령시 남포면 창동리 232-5 into Naver and parked in the large parking lot. We went into the building and checked in (with the help of Google Translate) and finished paying for our reservation. We put on jumpsuits, hopped in a truck, and were headed up the mountain for our adventure!
Cost: A regular flight is about 10 minutes long and costs ₩105,000 (a ₩25,000 deposit is required when the reservation is booked and is subtracted from the total cost on flight day). This price also includes pictures and a video of your experience. The VIP flight costs ₩135,000 (with a ₩35,000 deposit) and is about 15-20 minutes long and also includes pictures and a video. The VIP flight also includes “Extreme” paragliding, which I explained a little in my post. On the website, it says that the remaining balance due on flight day needs to be paid in cash. We paid using our VISA, but it is possible they have changed their policy (I’m writing this section of the post about 6 months after our flight), so it’s best to have cash on hand just in case.
What to wear: Make sure you dress appropriately for the weather. Long pants are preferred and close-toed shoes are required! Low pony-tails for those with long hair are preferred so that a helmet can be worn easily.
What to bring: BRING DRAMAMINE. I cannot stress this enough. Bring it and take it about 30 minutes before your reservation. If your pilot decides to do “Spin Extreme” paragliding, you’ll be glad you did. You CAN also tell them “No Extreme” to avoid any puking – which is something I should have done. Ha!
