Habes Mohamed Amine Chihab, known as "Zinou Habes", is an Algerian speleologist and pioneer from the Aïn Beïda region, active in the Aïn Beïda Speleoplongée and Mountain Sports Club (CSPS). He is often referred to by his nickname, Zinou, in the Algerian speleological community. He is known as the first Algerian speleologist to have reached a depth of -1000 meters in the legendary Berger Cave in France.
On August 3, 2019, he completed a descent of approximately 6 kilometers underground in the Berger Cave, on the Vercors plateau near Grenoble, reaching a tributary located at a depth of -1000 meters. This feat made him the first Algerian to symbolically cross the -1000-meter mark in this cave, considered a legend in world speleology. The descent lasted approximately 14 hours and was undertaken with the guidance of cave explorer and expert Emmanuel Tessanne. The Berger Abyss is historically the first cave in the world to reach a depth of 1000 meters, which underscores the significance of Zinou's achievement.
His feat is part of a sports exchange and training program aimed at strengthening the CSPS exploration team, under the auspices of the Algerian Ski and Mountain Sports Federation. This club also contributes to the development of caving and cave diving in Algeria, particularly in cave systems like Youkous in Tébessa and other major caves in the country. Zinou's ascent, becoming the first Algerian to descend the Berger Abyss, brings new visibility to Algerian speleologists on the international stage. It also highlights the karst potential of Algeria, which is home to some of the largest cave systems in Africa, and encourages recognition of this discipline, which is still marginalized in the country.
