Rituals at Alabama crags?

Climbed the Knife Crack at Griffin Falls a couple of weekends ago and walked up on a ceremony or ritual taking place at the base of the cliff. I've encountered the same thing at Sand Rock. It consists of chanting and yelling in Spanish and lasts for hours. Has anybody encountered this or know what this is? Not trying to sound offensive, I'm just curious as to what's going on.

You are not alone. It's a regular occurrence at Griffin Falls and Sand Rock. The hollering is Christian in nature, and the perpetrators are friendly (albeit LOUD!).

The subject was discussed on here a while ago, buried in a thread about break-ins at T-Wall. We never seem to stay on topic for long in this place.

Thanks for your reply, I wish we could get to the bottom of this. Like some of the posts in the topic you mentioned, it was absolutely terrifying. People were crying, screaming in anger, and dry heaving. Definitely picked up on the Christian nature too.

As a christian myself, I am very curious as to what branch of christianity is dry heaving at the base of cliffs for two hours.

Zac.St.Jules wrote:As a christian myself, I am very curious as to what branch of christianity is dry heaving at the base of cliffs for two hours.

Sounds like Pentecostals. If they speak Spanish Assemblies of God is the likely group isn't it? Nothing you can do to be rid of them unless you are willing to be rude really. And even that depending on the behavior may just incite then to be louder and even focus directly on you.

Ran across one of these "gatherings" near Little River Canyon back in the day. Two rather attractive young females informed my buddy and I that they were "having church". We did not attend the service.

Paul, you might have had a deeply religious experience.

All my best friends in high school were Pentecostal and while I witnessed many things foreign to my own religiosity, there was never a "séance" in the woods. It's probably a combination of a fundamentalist Pentecostalism and a strand of folk religion.

In an episode of the Enormocast, James Lucas referenced a very similar thing happening in an apartment near Bishop, CA.

I have an academic interest in the religion of Southern Appalachia and I would really like to see this going on. And I really want to climb Knife Crack... I'm curious about the frequency of these meetings. Are they weekly? Do they follow the moon? It's all really interesting to me.

gription wrote: Sounds like Pentecostals. If they speak Spanish Assemblies of God is the likely group isn't it? Nothing you can do to be rid of them unless you are willing to be rude really. And even that depending on the behavior may just incite then to be louder and even focus directly on you.

Bingo on the Pentecostals. Probably not so much on them directing their efforts at you, if you were to be rude.

There are local Pentecostal church groups, generally made up of country folk and Mexican laborers, who frequent the cliff line at Griffin, who go to other places in AL (Palisades, for one) to pray and have picnics, and who hold service in more conventional locales all over the South.

If you want to really see something...go up on Sand Mountain, near Cherokee Rock Village, one Wednesday, Friday, or Sunday evening. Snake handling is alive and well in rural AL and GA...but they don't usually "cotton too well" to outsiders there for a show. Most of us would be hard-pressed to fit in.

Truly, it is best to let all of these groups be. Definitely do not say anything to the Hispanic group at Griffin. They've been coming there for years and are nice people.

One day, after a few hours of morning cragging, after we were done, had cooled off in the falls, and were down under a shade tree drinking cold Sierra Nevada's, this group disbanded and were hiking down the hill. What I observed was nothing to be afraid of. Two young families, clearly migrant workers, with well dressed, clean, young children. The pastor was wearing typical pleated duck pants, a crisp white shirt, and matching boots/buckle. There was a young couple, local Caucasians, who gave us the requisite "how-do?". I sat on my cooler, tipped my hat to the fellow, and exchanged smiles with the group as they walked out.

The idea that someone would approach them rudely, while they are doing their thing, is somewhat sickening to me.

UncleBen wrote: The idea that someone would approach them rudely, while they are doing their thing, is somewhat sickening to me.

It's called sarcasm BTW. The intent of my words was "leave them alone". And I agree they are "nice" people. Essentially don't drink, don't smoke, don't lie. Just about the only worldly activity I know for sure they support (usually) is military service. Again as BOTH of us stated they are completely harmless. They believe that self-sacrifice is the ultimate virtue.

gription wrote:It's called sarcasm BTW.

Sorry, I don't hear/read Californian too well, I guess.

gription wrote:Again as BOTH of us stated they are completely harmless. They believe that self-sacrifice is the ultimate virtue.

I see what you did there...

I've been camping at Sandrock where they are yelling and screaming at 3 am. Don't care what religion you are- that's not ok. Cops said they're called out all the time and if it's past midnight at Sandrock there is a noise ordinance in place which that clearly breaks. Was advised to call the cops anytime it happens that late.

Ben Glanton wrote:I've been camping at Sandrock where they are yelling and screaming at 3 am. Don't care what religion you are- that's not ok. Cops said they're called out all the time and if it's past midnight at Sandrock there is a noise ordinance in place which that clearly breaks. Was advised to call the cops anytime it happens that late.

These are different screamers.... The Pentecostals are not the drunken morons that have frequented Sandrock for years...screaming, howling, drinking into the evenings. Those are just simple idiots, some of them climbers, who do not know how to behave or hold their liquor. Totally different people.

But, while on the topic.... Camping at Sandrock? You get what you deserve.

I've heard more yelling and screaming at Sandrock after midnight over who's Grandma drank the last beer than over any sort of religious ritual.

Hmmm, might be based on this documentary from the '70s.

UncleBen wrote: ... I see what you did there...

I doubt it, but even if you did it's way off topic for a climbing forum.

Camping at SandRock is normally bizarre. No surprises there. I especially enjoy the 2am engine revving, generational litter, and light sleeping.

The religious folks usually leave me alone, though.

Wow, I actually intended upon making this exact post a few weeks ago but got distracted by real life. We went out to griffin for the first time on a Friday morning, probably got there about 10. All was quiet. Racking up and heard some Spanish being spoken under the falls. By the time my partner had followed Knife Crack they were full on chanting. We were totally freaked out but admittedly once you got over the creepy it did sound pretty cool. Climbed a few more routes during which they kept getting louder and more frenzied, this was probably over the course of 3 hours. We decided to bushwhack it back to the road to avoid whatever it was that they were doing. We walked up to the lot and there was a very nicely dressed Hispanic family getting out of their car complete with bouquets of flowers. One of the stranger experiences I've had in the woods.

EDIT: Found the video we made! Remember, we had NO IDEA what was going on at this point.

youtu.be/T7IvllMuHmw

We camped and climbed last weekend at Cherokee Village / Sandrock - the park has been drastically transformed in past few years. It is clean, safe and very peaceful. BUT- we did wake to the chanting/yelling ritual at 6am. They repeatedly practiced this ritual several times throughout the day Saturday. We saw them observing climbers on knobwall and they had set up a spot behind it where they would gather. I saw what appeared to be Christian bibles where they were - they were not offensive at all, and were friendly  as we chatted watching friends climb. I am curious as to what the exact rituals are - The language sounded Spanish when they chanted-but they spoke English in response to our amicable greetings

Santería?

Spanglish plus "the language of tongues" prevalent in Pentacostal sects of Christianity. I.E. gibberish.