Photo: Bree Pye
Sohn des Turniere um Gurkenschulcht
(translated - Son of the Tournaments at Pickle Gulch)
Mighty Outlands! Fall silent and pay heed to the missive of
Their Excellencies,
Bryngerðr Þiðreksdóttir
and
Ronan na f-fiacal mac Connail,
Righ Tuatha of Caer Galen!
Once again the vales above Caer Galen beckon with the Lorelei’s silver song! It spins tales of grand deeds done, and of deeds that still need doing, under the canopy of pines high in the rocky spine that is Gurkenschluct. None can resist the tempting call of valorous feats and courageous actions!
You are bid welcome, and are invited to join Them in an exciting and resplendent weekend filled with feats of skill and honor!
Their Excellencies are also excited to host the Baronies Of Caerthe, Unser Hafen, and Dragonspine! Welcome all!
Come! Ply your knowledge and skill in the dueling arts, which would make the feint-hearted tremble!
Come! Lend your voice and ears, as songs are sung and tales are told with such grandeur that would make a stone weep and the moon herself beam with joy!
All are bid welcome, and are invited to join Their Excellencies in an exciting and resplendent weekend filled with feats of skill and honor!
When
May 30-June 3, 2025
Gate opens May 30, 2025 at 3pm, and the event concludes on Monday June 2rd, 2025 at noon
New this year! We have the entire campground for the weekend. This means that those Baronies in attendance will have a complete campsite at their disposal. (See campground map for details).
As this is a mountain camping event be mindful that-
Days will be warm
Nights can get chilly
Possibility of rain
It is bear country
The campground comes with bear-proof food lockers and bear-proof garbage containers. Individuals are highly encouraged to make use of these amenities. More information available here.
What
A multi-day rapier and Cut & Thrust camping event.
Baronies in attendance will be acknowledging those individuals wishing to vie for the title (and responsibility) of Champion. If you are one of the brave, make time to confer with your Baron and Baroness a to your wishes in this matter.
Tournaments include one-on-one fights, a small team melee, and, new this year, Blood of Heroes!
A pickled foods competition.
Where
Pickle Gulch Campground - Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee National Grasslands
From Interstate 25 in Denver, travel west on 6th Avenue to State Highway 6 and continue through Clear Creek Canyon. Turn on State Highway 119 toward Black Hawk and Central City. Follow the highway 4 miles north of Black Hawk, to the campground (look for signage).
It seems to map correctly in both Apple Maps and Google Maps - type in "pickle gulch"
Event Schedule
Friday, May 30
4pm Site opens
Saturday, May 31
11am -6pm Gurkenschluct Pickling Competition (display tables near the list field; description below)
9am - 11am List sign-up for all tournaments (please present site token to MOL)
Noon - 2:30 Pageantry & Prowess Tournament (description below)
3pm - 5:30 Cut & Thrust Tournament (description below)
6pm Court
8pm Bardic
Sunday, June 1
9am Panache & Valor - The Bannerete at Pickle Gulch (description below)
11:30 MoD/DWS Q&A and discussion
1pm Blut der Helden (Blood of Heroes)
3pm Court
Monday, June 2
Noon Site closes (safe travels)
How much
$20 to camp (includes site fee) $30 non-member surcharge
$15 to day trip $25 non-member surcharge
17 and under free
Camp space is limited to 150 individuals (and the fewer tents, the better)
Pre-registration is highly encouraged to secure a campsite
Online payment at gate is not possible due to remoteness of site
Due to limited parking, large RV's are not allowed.
Pre-registration
opens soon...
Some thoughts about the event - what to expect.
-pageantry
spectacular display; pomp: the pageantry of a coronation.
-panache
a grand or flamboyant manner; verve; style; flair.
-procession
a group of individuals moving along in an orderly often ceremonial way
-valor
Gallant bravery and strength, especially on the battlefield or in the face of danger. Valor comes from the Latin valorem for “strength, moral worth.”
This event is very much about the return of pageantry and panache, as well as prowess and courtly grace. To this end, two of the weekends tournament festivities will call for these two often overlooked foundations. What better way to cultivate and foster these ideals than to be given the chance to process before for Crown and populace, to announce to all your convictions and your intentions for the day.
There will be a "Pageantry and Prowess" one on one tournament, and a return of the "Bannerete" small team melee.
Both will entail some means of group identification. For Pageantry and Prowess, gather an entourage to escort you on t the field of honor. They can include a herald, banner bearers, a significant other, musicians etc.
The Bannerete will have a similar take, each team should be identifiable in some way; tabards, sashes, helm crests, etc. Show your bravado in the face of your opponents. Make the most boisterous and outlandish claims of your merits above all others! Fight as a team! Stand or fall to a man!
This can be an opportunity for individuals to broaden their game. So involve those who might otherwise just be sitting on the sidelines, or worse, in camp or at home. Engage a tailor for help if you need, ask that vociferous friend if they would herald you onto the field. Children can be awesome standard bearers. The sky's the limit!
Now, Without Further Ado!
Pageantry & Prowess Tournament
Find a herald, gather your entourage, dress your best, proclaim your love, and make your most worthy challenges!
This tournament consists of two parts, a grand procession, followed by the feat of arms.
The Procession
Herald to announce (there might be heralds available at the opening of the tournament, or you can herald yourself in...)
Who you are
Titles and awards
Partner, if any (similar to a consort)
Any challenges you care to make
The entourage can include
Partner/spouse
Cadets and/or provosts
Standard bearers
Musicians
If you have passed arms, use it to style your entourage
If you a badge passed, use it
Sashes, capes, and tabards are but a few examples that can help unify your entourage.
Tournament format
Best two out of three fights, double elimination
Gurkenschlucht Cut & Thrust Tournament
Weapon aficionados, this is a tournament for you.
A variation of the Swiss 5, throwing in "choose the weapon” and "first blood.”
Three bouts per match
To "first blood"
No penalty for "killing" your opponent
Doubles are destructive to one, possibly both.
Any blow that lands ends the bout, even to an arm or hand. If the combatants both strike each other, the better blow wins:
Body & head is better than foot & leg
Foot & leg is better than hand & arm.
If both get struck with the same blow, then neither win that bout.
There will only be 4 rounds before the semifinal elimination. Four with most bouts won go to the semifinals, which are the same format per bout but best two out of three, single elimination.
Choice of weapons.
When the herald reads the list, and the combatants pair up, the one with the lower precedence chooses the weapon that the match (meaning all three bouts) will be fought with:
Single Rapier
Rapier and dagger
"Short" sword (blade under 35") and buckler
Two Handed Sword
Spear
If combatants have equal precedence, a coin toss will determine who gets to choose weapon style.
Don't choose the same weapon twice unless it's an authorization issue. We won't keep track of that, it's on your honor. You might end up fighting the same style twice anyway depending on your rank and what your opponents pick; that is by design. There will only be 4 rounds before the semifinal elimination, so you might not be fighting with every style; which is by design.
Panache & Valor - The Gurkenschlucht Bannerete
This is a small team processional tournament melee similar in concept to a pas d’armes.
Teams will consist of 5 fighters, having up to two marshalate peers (Chivalry or Defense).
Each team shall designate a captain who will speak for the team.
Each team will be given 4 tokens to be used in voting for the most valorous team, and the team with the most panache (victory conditions described below).
Procession
This is another processional tournament, starting off with a "call to muster" to the Crown.
Herald and entourage
Herald to answer the call to muster (the team captain can herald for the team)
Team name
Any challenges
Entourage
Entourage can include standard bearers and/or musicians, but are considered non-combatants and are not allowed on the tournament field during fighting
This is team endeavor, so it highly encouraged that teams make a concerted effort to have a unifying identity so that nobility and populace can identify who is who. Consider-
A common theme in dress
Passed arms or a badge can tie a team together (and is very period)
Sashes, capes, or tabards
All teams must be gathered and ready to go when the processional is announced (shortly after 9am)
The tournament herald will call forward the teams, one at a time, announcing to the gathered audience "Come forward (name of team) and present yourselves to the Crown of The Outlands! You have leave to make any proclamations, claims, or challenges to those assembled here today!"
At this point the team will have a moment to do any, or all, of these things
Tournament Format
Single fight, double elimination if enough teams are registered, otherwise single fight, round robin.
A note about spear length - It was evident that 9’ spears were a bit much for the constraint of the list field (which led to a grumpy field marshal), so this year the spear length will no more than 6’,
Victory conditions
Prowess shall be awarded to the team with the most wins in the tournament
The other two victories will be decided as follows-
Near the tournament field will be a collection of boxes, two per team, marked with each team's number. One box is valor, the other is for panache
Each team will be supplied with four tokens marked with their number
At any time during the tournament, a team captain can vote for any other teams valor and panache
The Crown, Landed Nobility, and visiting dignitaries (such as The Ladies of the Rose) that are in attendance shall have the opportunity to vote as well
At the end of the tournament, the boxes shall be opened and the votes tallied. The most votes in each category will determine the winner of each category.
A team can be awarded multiple victories
Blut der Helden, der Gruß des Juggers um Gurkenschulct
(translated Blood of Heroes, the Salute of the Jugger at Pickle Gulch)
An oldie but a goodie! The game known as 'Blood of Heroes', is a Rapier adaptation of an Armored Combat game played in the Kingdom of Calontir. The game is originally based on a movie of the same name starring Rutger Hauer and Joan Chen about a post-apocalyptic society for which the primary entertainment is provided by wandering teams of juggers playing a buzkashi-like game, which is nowhere named in the movie.
Follow this link to the rules for Blut der Helden (Blood of Heroes)
Gurkenschulct Pickling Competition
The Baroness of Caer Galen, Her Excellency Bryngerðr, has put forth the call for a pickling competition!
If you profess to an aptitude for such an art, then you are encouraged to enter! Bring your brined gourds and roots to the event and show your worth!
All manner of pickled foods are welcome, but please provide an ingredient list.
Judging will happen all day Saturday by popular vote based on bead accumulation.
Anyone can vote.
The one with the most beads is victorious. (Her Excellency will provide the voting beads)
Winner will be announcing in court on Sunday
Volunteer Opportunities
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