Fischer Transalp 86 CTI — Review

The Fischer Transalp 86 CTI is a race-flavoured 86 mm touring ski aimed at fit ski-mountaineers who want a single chassis for fast ascents and confident descents on firm and mixed snow. CTI stands for Concept of success Shaped Ti — the platform combines an Air Tec Paulownia woodcore, carbon stringers and a Shaped Ti insert (a sculpted titanal layer rather than a full sheet) in a Dura Cap sidewall sandwich. Available in 155, 162, 169, 176 and 183 cm, Fischer publishes a single verified sidecut at 176 cm (116/86/104) at 1190 g per ski.

Minimal tip rocker with full camber underfoot give the Transalp 86 CTI a precise, race-flavoured feel on hardpack and corn — it rolls onto edge directly, with the Shaped Ti insert quieting the ride compared with all-carbon lightweight tour skis. The 20 m radius at 176 cm sits at the longer end of the tour-86 segment, favouring stability at speed and committed long-radius arcs over slow-speed pivots. With 86 mm underfoot and no tail rocker to speak of, soft-snow float is intentionally limited; this is a ski tuned for tracks, refrozen surfaces, and predictable couloir-side carving rather than deep days.

The Transalp 86 CTI runs an Air Tec Paulownia woodcore (paulownia milled with internal cavities to drop mass without sacrificing damping), carbon stringers for longitudinal stiffness, and Shaped Ti Technology — a titanal insert with sculpted geometry that adds dampness only where it pays back, rather than across the full ski. Dura Cap sidewalls wrap the core for impact protection on rocky skin-tracks, and a sintered base holds wax for long traverses. Factory edge bevels are 3° side / 1° base, race-style tuning out of the box. Verified specs at 176 cm: 116/86/104 sidecut, 20 m radius, 1190 g per ski. Per-length sidecut/weight/radius beyond 176 cm are not published.

The Transalp 86 CTI fits the fit ski-mountaineer or skimo-curious skier who wants one tour ski for fast vertical days on firm snow. Within Fischer the Fischer Transalp 92 CTI Pro is the wider sibling for mixed and softer snow at a small weight penalty. Outside Fischer, the Head Crux 87 pro offers a similar firm-snow-biased 87 mm chassis, the Movement Alp tracks 84 leans further into sport-tour with a lighter build, and the K2 Wayback 84 mens is the classic 84 mm tour benchmark for skiers who want a more forgiving, slightly damper feel.

Pros

• Air Tec Paulownia core + Shaped Ti insert balance low weight with damping.
• 1190 g at 176 cm is competitive in the firm-snow tour-86 segment.
• Dura Cap sidewalls and sintered base survive rocky skin-tracks and long traverses.
• Race-style 3°/1° factory bevels deliver immediate edge bite on refrozen snow.

Cons

• Minimal tip rocker and no tail rocker — limited float on soft snow.
• Sidecut, weight and radius published only at 176 cm; other lengths not verified.
• 20 m radius at 176 cm is longer than typical short-radius tour-86 skis.
• 86 mm waist sits below the sweet spot for mixed-snow versatility.

Verdict: A precise, race-flavoured 86 mm tour ski for skiers who pick lines on firm snow and want a single light-but-damp chassis — choose it over the Transalp 92 CTI Pro when ascent speed and hardpack edge bite outweigh soft-snow float.