Londorossi Gate
Elevation: 2,250 meters above sea level
Londorossi Gate is an entry point into Mount Kilimanjaro National Park, found on the northwestern lower slopes of the mountain. Even though it’s called a gate, it’s really an open area with several offices for the park authorities. It’s the main starting spot for climbers using the Shira Route or Lemosho Route, handling all the paperwork before the trek begins.
The rangers at Londorossi Gate make sure every climber is properly checked in. They look at your passport or visa, review your day-by-day plan for the climb, confirm your guide works for a real tour company, check that you’ve got enough supplies like porters, tents, food, and water, and make sure the park fees are paid. If anything’s not right, they might stop you from going in.
Once everything’s sorted, your documents are taken by car to the actual trail start—either the Lemosho Glades trailhead for the Lemosho Route or the Murram Barrier Gate for the Shira Route. Unlike other gates in the park, Londorossi is farther from where the hiking begins.
Location & Weather
Londorossi Gate is about 40 kilometers, or 25 miles, from the Kenya-Tanzania border, sitting at the base of Kilimanjaro’s slopes. It’s close to the big trees of the montane forest, but the area feels empty and far from everything. All you see around are tree plantations and a handful of houses nearby. The place gets a decent amount of rain throughout the year.
Getting to Londorossi Gate takes some effort. You’ll need a 4×4 vehicle like a jeep because the roads are rough and made of dirt or murram, a type of gravel. They’re fixed up now and then, but heavy rain makes them tough to drive on. The road from Arusha or Moshi starts out paved, but the last stretch turns to dirt.