Driving across Norway in winter? On exposed mountain roads, bad weather can lead to road closures or convoy driving. Here鈥檚 what聽‘kolonnekj酶ring'聽means and what you need to do if you encounter it.
Driving in Norway during the winter can be a wonderful experience, but conditions can change remarkably quickly.
A road that is clear and easy to drive at lower elevations can look very different once you climb onto an exposed mountain plateau. Strong winds can blow snow across the road, visibility can disappear and snowdrifts can form surprisingly quickly.
When conditions become too difficult for normal traffic, the road authorities have two main options: close the road entirely, or introduce聽convoy driving, known in Norwegian as聽‘kolonnekj酶ring'.
If you're planning a winter road trip in Norway, especially one involving mountain passes or remote areas of Northern Norway, it's worth understanding exactly what that means.
What is Convoy Driving in Norway?
Convoy driving allows a road to remain open when conditions are too difficult or dangerous for vehicles to travel independently.
Instead of simply driving across the mountain, vehicles gather at a designated point and wait. When conditions allow, a group of vehicles is escorted along the road.
There will be a snowplough or lead vehicle at the front of the convoy and another vehicle at the rear. The drivers remain in contact with each other throughout the journey.
This isn't just about clearing snow from the road. In high winds, drifting snow can cover a recently ploughed road within minutes and reduce visibility dramatically.
Having everyone travel together means the road authorities know where the vehicles are and can respond much more easily if someone gets into difficulty.
Where Does Convoy Driving Happen?
You're most likely to encounter convoy driving on exposed mountain roads. Norway's national road network includes more than 20 recognised mountain passes, many of which can be affected by difficult winter weather.
Among the better-known roads where convoy driving can occur are the E134 over Haukelifjell, Route 7 across Hardangervidda and the E6 across Saltfjellet in Northern Norway.
It's also an important part of winter travel in Finnmark. One particularly useful example for visitors is the road to聽Nordkapp, or the North Cape.
The weather on the exposed plateau can be considerably worse than in nearby Honningsv氓g. Because of increasing winter tourism, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration introduced on the final section of the E69 between the Skarsv氓g junction and Nordkapp.
Other roads in Finnmark county also operate scheduled convoys at times during the winter.
However, don't rely on a timetable you've found in advance. Weather conditions can change and a road can move from normal traffic to convoy driving or complete closure at short notice.
Check the Road Before You Travel
One of the most important parts of winter driving in Norway happens before you start the engine. Check the Norwegian Public Roads Administration's before setting out.
The聽Vegvesen trafikk聽app is also extremely useful. You can check road conditions, mountain pass status, traffic incidents and webcams, and receive notifications about roads that are closed or subject to convoy driving.
If you're crossing a mountain, looking at the webcams can be particularly revealing. Conditions on the other side of the mountain may bear little resemblance to what you can see from your hotel window.
Allow plenty of flexibility in your plans too. Convoy driving can mean a substantial wait, especially at busy times. If conditions deteriorate further, the road may close completely.
That means a winter driving itinerary shouldn't depend upon crossing an exposed mountain road at a precise time.
What Happens When You Reach a Convoy?
If convoy driving is in operation, traffic will be stopped before entering the affected stretch of road.
You simply join the queue and wait for instructions. Don't drive around a barrier or assume that because the weather looks acceptable where you're waiting, it must be safe farther along the road.
The whole reason convoy driving is necessary is that conditions on the exposed section can be dramatically different. There may also be restrictions on how many vehicles are permitted to join.
This isn't arbitrary. Norwegian road authorities limit the number of people in a convoy to a level that emergency services could realistically assist should something go wrong. The snow-clearing crew can also refuse to let you join.
A vehicle with unsuitable tyres, technical problems or inadequate equipment may be rejected. The same can happen if the people inside the vehicle don't appear adequately prepared for the conditions.
In other words, reaching the front of the queue doesn't automatically guarantee that you'll be allowed across.
Prepare Before Crossing a Mountain
If there is any possibility of convoy driving on your route, prepare for it before reaching the mountain.
Make sure you have plenty of fuel or a well-charged electric vehicle battery. There are no opportunities to stop and refuel or recharge once you're travelling in the convoy.
You should also have:
- Warm clothing and winter footwear
- Food and something to drink
- A charged mobile phone
- A torch
- A small snow shovel
- A tow rope
- An ice scraper and snow brush
Keeping a blanket in the car is also sensible when making longer winter journeys. Above all, your car must be suitable for the conditions.
Norwegian law requires drivers to ensure their vehicle has sufficient grip for the conditions. The minimum tyre tread depth for ordinary vehicles during the winter period is 3mm, but meeting the legal minimum doesn't necessarily mean a tyre is suitable for severe winter conditions.
If you're unfamiliar with the rules, read my complete guide to winter driving in Norway before planning your trip.
How to Drive in a Convoy
Once the convoy sets off, follow the instructions of the road crew. The most important thing is to聽keep the vehicle ahead of you in sight.
Visibility can sometimes be extremely poor. That's precisely why you're travelling as a group rather than independently. Use your hazard warning lights and maintain as steady a speed as possible. Avoid sudden acceleration and braking.
If your vehicle has fog lights, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration recommends using them during convoy driving.
They also give one piece of advice that may sound surprising: when temperatures are below freezing, supplying the windscreen with cold air can help prevent icing.
Whatever happens, don't leave the convoy or attempt to turn around. If the convoy stops, remain with your vehicle unless the convoy crew tells you otherwise.
In extreme weather, getting out of the car and walking away from it can be dangerous. Visibility can become so poor that even finding your way back to your own vehicle may be difficult.
The vehicles at the front and rear of the convoy remain in communication, and the convoy may stop while the crew checks that everyone is still present.
Expect to Wait
For travellers, the biggest practical consequence of convoy driving is often not the crossing itself but the delay.
During busy periods, you may not get into the next convoy. You could therefore be waiting for quite some time before being allowed to continue.
Conditions can also deteriorate while you are waiting. If that happens, convoy driving may be suspended and the road closed altogether. This is why I would be very cautious about planning a tight winter itinerary involving mountain crossings.
A summer journey time suggested by Google Maps isn't especially useful when the road is covered in snow, a mountain pass is operating convoys or you're sitting behind a closed barrier waiting for the weather to improve. Build time into your plans.
Convoy Driving Versus a Closed Road
Convoy driving means the authorities believe the road can still be used safely, but only under controlled conditions. A closed road is different. When the weather becomes too severe even for supervised traffic, the road is shut completely.
Never drive around a closed barrier. It may seem calm at the barrier while conditions several kilometres farther onto the mountain are severe. Snow-clearing equipment may also be operating on what is supposed to be an empty road.
Road crews will reopen the route when they believe it is safe to do so. There isn't much you can do other than wait or find another route.
Should Tourists Drive in These Conditions?
Convoy driving is designed to make difficult journeys safer. It doesn't make winter driving easy.
If you have little or no experience driving on snow and ice, think carefully before planning a winter road trip that takes you across exposed mountain areas.
Norway's winter landscapes are spectacular, but you don't have to drive everywhere to experience them.
Trains, buses, coastal ships and domestic flights can sometimes be much better options, particularly if you're visiting from somewhere where winter driving isn't part of everyday life.
If you do choose to drive, remain flexible. Check the weather and road conditions before every significant journey, keep the car properly equipped and don't underestimate how quickly conditions can change.
Seeing the word聽‘kolonnekj酶ring'聽on a road sign isn't a reason to panic. But it is a sign that the road ahead deserves to be taken very seriously.
