Jammu, Jun 11: The Patnitop ropeway in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir started weekend commercial operations on Friday, over a month after it was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The 2.8-km ecofriendly cable car project by Skyview is the first-of-its-kind leisure, lifestyle and adventure destination, located amidst bountiful nature, in the lap of the Himalayas.
“Skyview by Empyrean, the recently launched hospitality venture of Empyrean Skyview Private Limited (ESPPL) is now open at Sanget-Patnitop for visitors starting today (Friday) for weekends only — 11 am until 5pm,” its managing director, Syed Junaid Altaf, said.
It is the country’s highest ropeway in terms of ground clearance of over 65 meters and the largest Indo-French collaboration in mountain infrastructure development. It was built in a record time of 2.4 years under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model and started its commercial operations on July 20, 2019.
Last year, the ropeway resumed its operations on October 10 after remaining closed for more than six months due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.
“We look forward to welcoming visitors to this unique and holistic adventure and lifestyle destination,” Junaid said.
He said the Skyview is an ideal getaway for locals and tourists who visit nearby Katra, the base camp for Vaishno Devi pilgrimage, for religious tourism and for those looking to combine or extend their stay in Patnitop.
Spread over 22 acres in the panoramic Sanget valley and Patnitop, Skyview is just a 90-minute drive from the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine.
It takes a two-hour drive from Jammu on the four-lane highway, crossing four spectacular tunnels, to reach this picturesque destination.