The competition was organized by TETIDE APS as a EuroSpeleo project , in collaboration with European Children and Young Cavers (ECYC) , the EuroSpeleoForum CAPOVOLTA , and with the support of the European Speleological Federation (FSE) . The aim is to encourage submissions of images and works that creatively represent underground environments, promoting environmental education and awareness of the importance of underground ecosystems and conservation efforts worldwide.

The competition featured five primary categories:

1. Scientific Exploration and Documentation; winner Holding the Unknown by Sotiris Kountouras
2. Artistic Interpretation and Symbolism; winner The Chamber of Choises by Sotiris Kountouras
3. Human Adventure and Exploration; winner A World within the World by Sotiris Kountouras
4. Education and Immersive Experiences; winner Mostramos el Mundo Subterraneo de una Manera Inmersiva by Asoc. Espeleofoto
5. Young Cavers Corner – Youth Contest; winner Movie Gefangen in der Unterwelt by Anna and Florian Gundacker

Cavers from 9 countries participated in the competition with 37 works.

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The international cave diving expedition Punar u Luci 2025 was organized by the Caving Department of CMC St. Michael from Šibenik.

The expedition was held from May till September while the central part was held in the period from August 15th to August 24th. During the main part of the expedition, 77 cavers from five countries: Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Uruguay and Germany, gathered with the aim of transporting heavy diving equipment to the 1st sump. This required technical climbing of several chimneys, searching the surface for new entrances and exploring new found pits.

The expedition was divided in three main parts; a pre-expedition where the cave had to be rigged to a bivouac and searching of the area to discover new entrances. In the main part of the expedition a diving team was formed, together with a transport team and base camp team.  The part of the cave between the bivouac and the sump was equipped with ropes and anchor points.  The transportation team transported more than 500 kilograms of diving, bivouac and technic equipment and food and also installed a CaveLink communication system. The post-expedition part was for derigging and cleaning the cave of everything that was left. 

Despite cave divers not reaching the 2nd sump the caving team surveyed more than 1 km of new passages above chimneys in the Punar u Luci pit and a new cave Paležinka to a depth of -191 m with 345 m length. 

This Euro Speleo Project was sponsored by the European Speleological Federation and Aventure Verticale equipment from France.

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The geo-tour was organized in February 2025 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The trip was organized as a follow-up to the publications of John Pint, which documented numerous cave discoveries and highlighted several unresolved geological and speleological features at the Volcano Jabal Al-Hil at the Harrat Kishb Volcanic field. Additionaly the group visited caves in the Harrat Rahat and in the Harrat Khaybar areas near to Medinah.

After a long preparation, in February 2025, a multi-national group of eleven participants went to Saudi Arabia with the primary objective of investigating the ‘cave question marks’ previously documented by John Pint. Many documented entrances—some as deep as 50 meters and visible as long as 90 meters—had remained unexplored due to past technical limitations. It was during the 2025 trip that these long-standing mysteries were to be finally unravelled.

The trip took place from February 15 to February 28, 2025 and the primary objective was to explore the volcanic region surrounding Jabal Al-Hil, an ash cone volcano located in the Harrat (i.e. lava field in the local terminology) Kishb. In the first days of our trip a basecamp was set up in the crater of one of the large shield volcanoes in the Harrat Al-Kishb area.

The remoteness of the area presented significant logistical challenges. Two big pickup 4 x 4 cars, Toyota Hilux, were hired, and our inventory of materials consisted of essential supplies such as 300 litres of water, canned food for 2 weeks and 10 persons, 40 litres of gasoline, 7 tents, 200 meters of rope, 2 air compressors, tire repair kits , 2 drills, dozens of anchors and karabiners, 7 Solar power kits etc. In total, two pickups were filled up with gear.

Altogether, more than eight caves were surveyed around Jabal Al-Hil. with a combined length of more than 1,3 kilometres. The deepest cave measured is 70 meters.

The northern region of the Harrat Rahat volcanic field, located just south of Medina near the first checkpoint, was the next area of focus. Several promising volcanoes situated east of the main road were examined during this stage of the visit.

The team gratefully acknowledge the support of the European Speleological Federation (FSE), Speleo Nederland, and Korda’s (Spanish rope manufacturer), without which this reconnaissance tour would not have been possible.

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