Although we live in an age where travel is a daily routine, island travel is not easy. This is because you have to take a boat, move our car by the boat, and if you are late, you may unexpectedly become stranded on the island.
Nevertheless, we chose Jangbong Island, located in Ongjin-gun, Incheon, as the location for the 2-day, 1-night company camping outing.
The natural environment is beautiful, it’s great for walking and camping, and it’s close to the metropolitan area.
Jangbong Island is famous as a day trip tracking spot. Jangbong-do means ‘an island with a long line of peaks,’ and there are seven tracking courses along the ridge and coast.
Since we had to move from Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do to Yeongjong-do, Incheon on a weekday morning, we expected that traffic jam is very bad. So we gathered at the company relatively early at 7:30 a.m. and left together.
However, contrary to expectations, there was almost no traffic congestion and we arrived at Sammok dock on Yeongjong Island before 9 o’clock.
And then everyone boarded the ship, went up to the deck, and took a photo to commemorate the company picnic.
The sight of a seagull flying in the blue sky and GSA staff and workers raising both hands high on the deck of a passenger ship evokes the refreshing feeling of midsummer.
The midsummer picnic attire, which everyone freely wore with sunglasses, shorts, and hats, was quite different from the feeling we faced at work.
Is it a different, free-spirited feeling that can only be felt at a picnic ?
Everyone looks a little excited, perhaps because they are out of their daily routine.
The passenger ship departed from Sammok Pier on Yeongjong Island, passed through Sindo, and arrived at Jangbong Island after about 40 minutes.
It was also loaded with passenger cars and trucks brought by the company.
When we arrived at the beach camping site, we settled down in groups and pitched our tents.
Then, we had a quick lunch with simple dishes prepared by each group.
This is because the ‘Jangbong-do Gattigil’ tracking program, which can be said to be the highlight of this picnic, is waiting for us soon.
The Jangbong-do Coastal Trail tracking course encompasses the mountains and the coast.
‘Gatti’ is a word used on the coast of Gyeonggi Province and refers to a place where sea water flows in and out.
In areas with severe tidal differences, the swamp area that is submerged during high tide and exposed during low tide is called ‘gatti.’
Let’s walk around Jangbongdo, Gatti’s island.
The beginning of our trekking course this time is the coastal path by the sea.
The open landscape of rocks, pebbles, sea, mountains, and sky provides a sense of openness that is difficult to experience on land.
Just because it’s a trekking paradise doesn’t mean the road is completely smooth. There are almost no decks or stairs and it is mostly made of dirt and rocks, so it may be difficult for people who are not used to hiking.
Beginners should keep in mind that even though it is not a coastal road, Jangbong Island itself has a long ridge and repeats uphills and downhills, so even if the course is short, you can easily get tired.
For our health and to enjoy 100% the beautiful nature like Jangbong Island, let’s build up our basic physical strength through light exercise such as walking.
Even though it is an island, it is a tracking mecca close to the metropolitan area, and signs showing that many mountaineering clubs have already visited this place catch my eyes.
There are many countries around the world, but there are few places that have mountains and oceans close to our lives.
There is a joke that our Grandpa Dangun got into a real estate scam and settled down on the Korean Peninsula, but camping and trekking close to where you live can be enjoyed whenever you want, so it is a perfect choice.
It is said that this rock was first discovered on Jangbong Island and was named Jangbong schist.
If you walk the coastal tracking course, you can find these schists everywhere.
It is said that rocks that entered the sea due to tectonic events 1.2 billion years ago changed their shape due to heat and pressure.
It is said that the unique shape was created through differential erosion in which the weak parts of the rock were chipped away more and the stronger parts were less.
The thought of tracking on an island that preserves the Earth’s past from 1.2 billion years ago suddenly fills my heart with grandeur.
Wouldn’t it be fun to just walk the entire trekking course?Let’s try levitation… Levitation is not Mr. Heo Kyeong-young’s exclusive patent.
Since it was a company outing where many people participated at once, the camping was organized into 5 groups of 5 to 6 people to make the camping more efficient and to increase the fun.
According to the results of the visual examination, team leader Seo Myeong-seok, who is leading the large refrigeration dryers team, stands out with his form and height of levitation.
Do you agree with me ?
Isn’t the highlight of camping the outdoor cooking?
After finishing the 2-hour tracking, we were hungry.
Each group prepared a variety of ingredients with a tight budget provided by the company.
Among them, fried shrimp was by far the most popular.
I tried picking one up and eating it, but the expression that it melts in our mouth is used at this time.
Cheers to this happy moment that will never come back~~^^
He saw a sturdy rope swing tied to a tree at the campsite, but he couldn’t help but look at it.
Let’s soar high into the sky on a swing with the sea in the background.
So~ri~jil~ler~!!!
The small island of Mulgot, which in the past had to be watched from afar, is now connected by a bridge.
Jangbong Island is a small rocky island in front of the village, with a sandbank about 100m to the south that serves as a breakwater for Ongampo.
Because it is located in the middle of the sea, it is said that it was called a remote place, meaning that even though it is close, it cannot be reached like a distant place.
Before leaving Jangbong Island, let’s climb up on a small rock and take a great photo.
The ultimate beauty of a company picnic is the award ceremony.
The company provided useful gifts for everyday life, such as detergents, dishes, frying pans, and camping tools, but this time it seems to have been unified into gift certificates.
This is probably the company’s consideration in that even if you receive a gift, it is difficult to take it back if it is too bulky.
As a result of a comprehensive evaluation of camping preparation, cooking, tracking, levitation, and active participation, group 5, comprised of female employees, took first place. Congrats..
Of course, the remaining 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th place winners also received gift certificates. Everyone’s steps toward home are cheerful.
As time passes, all that remains are photos and memories.
At the end of the company picnic, all participants sat on the rocks on the white sand beach and shouted a fighting slogan out loud.
Now that we have fully recharged our energy through the picnic, let’s run vigorously again in the second half of 2024.
As above, I have shared with you the story of the GSA company picnic held in June 2024.
In the hot summer of 2024, why not plan a trip to an island somewhere close to home?
