Full Tilt

Summary

Full Tilt is the inspiring true story of Dervla Murphy’s 1963 journey from Ireland to India on an Armstrong Cadet bicycle and the trials, landscapes, and cultures she encountered along the way.

The route takes her through the valleys and snowy mountain passes of Europe and India to the scorching deserts of Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the metal of her bicycle, Rozinante—named after Don Quixote’s steed—becomes too hot to touch. She travels alone, without luxuries, sleeping on the floors of tea houses or on blankets outdoors, vulnerable to wild animals, insects, and thieves. However, she is often met with generosity and kindness and shares many meaningful encounters with the locals. Her portrayal here gives a fascinating insight into the unique communities of the Middle East in the early 1960s.