The Best Backcountry Boots of 2022: Fischer TransAlp Pro
An all-new ski boot from Fischer that reimagines how lightweight your everyday backcountry ski boot should be.
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Specs
Gender
Unisex
Level
Advanced, Expert
Weight
2lbs. 13oz.
Tech Insole
Yes
Flex
120
Last Width (mm)
100
Sizes
22.5-30.5
Modern backcountry ski boots fall into three categories: Super lightweight boots made for racing and massive alpine missions; heavy-duty boots made to handle resorts and short tours; and something in between. Fischer’s new TransAlp Pro aims to bridge the gap between these categories, offering backcountry-specific durable downhill performance in a sub-three pound package.
Ultimately, the brand gets an A-grade for accomplishing just that, and bonus points for doing so in a sustainable package. The TransAlp Pro features Pebax Rnu in the shell, which incorporates sustainable castor oil during construction. The entire shell is a stiff, responsive package that can guide skinny and wide skis alike in soft snow conditions, and can take on hard snow with much more confidence than a SkiMo race boot.
With only two buckles, a Powerstrap, and a preformed tongue liner, the Fischer TransAlp Pro is lightweight and comfortable in the skin track. Using an internal gator system, Fischer is also able to remove parts of the shell which further reduces weight and makes the uphill even more efficient without reducing downhill performance or getting your socks wet.
During descents in Colorado’s Summit County and Indian Peaks, the boot proved stable and eager for turns. The walk-mode switch has a dual-lock system to keep things in place, and the somewhat complicated Power Buckle strap is optimally placed to function nearly as well as a metal buckle. The forward lean is easy to adjust at home too, giving this boot appeal to forward-stance patriots and upright backcountry skiers alike.
The downhill and the uphill performance are about as good as it gets for a boot made to do both in the backcountry thanks to some clever design features. These features, however, do have a learning curve. The internal gator makes getting the boot on tricky at first, and the locking Power Buckle and ski/wack mechanisms take just a little bit more care to activate and release. Pebax is a notoriously brittle material at cold temps, and it’s unclear if the Pebax Rnu is more durable or not. The lower buckle is also attached to a cord, which could be another soft spot.
After about a dozen ski days in the boots, however, everything is still holding strong. And maybe it’s because of the performance of the boot, or because many of those days were some of the best backcountry days of the season for me, but I can feel the Fischer TransAlp Pro vibrating on my desk now as I write about it. It’s making me excited for skiing again soon.
Buy the Fischer TransAlp Pro Backcountry Ski Boot: evo
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More info: FischerSports.com