- For any further information: +27 (0) 82 336 1230
- info@crossthedivide.org.za
Chrysalis Project creates purposeful outdoor experiences that invite people to encounter challenge, develop greater self-awareness and discover new ways of relating to themselves, others and the world around them.
Through adventure, experiential learning and thoughtful facilitation, we create opportunities for meaningful development that can extend far beyond the experience itself.
We believe that meaningful development can happen when people step outside familiar routines and encounter new challenges in a thoughtfully facilitated environment.
The outdoors offers a distinctive setting for this work. Changing conditions, shared responsibilities and the demands of a journey invite people to notice how they respond, make decisions, manage themselves and relate to others.
Learning Through Experience
At Chrysalis Project, adventure is more than reaching a destination or completing an activity. It provides an opportunity to practise skills, encounter different perspectives and reflect on what an experience reveals.
Whether navigating a mountain trail, working through a group challenge or preparing for a new chapter of life, participants are invited to engage with the experience and consider what they can carry forward into everyday life.
Challenge With Responsibility
We recognise that challenge and safety must work together. Meaningful experiences require preparation, appropriate boundaries, thoughtful facilitation and an awareness of the people and environments involved.
Our intention is to create conditions in which people can explore, learn and develop while risks are recognised and responsibly managed.
Stepping into an unfamiliar environment changes the questions we encounter. How do we respond when things become difficult? How do we make decisions when the way forward is uncertain? What happens when our choices affect the people around us?
Through journeys, residential programmes and other experiential learning opportunities, Chrysalis Project creates space to encounter these questions in practice.
The aim is not simply to complete a challenge. It is to notice what happens along the way, develop new capacities and explore how those lessons might influence life beyond the experience.
An experience can reveal something new, but meaningful learning also requires time to make sense of what happened.
Chrysalis Project uses purposeful activities and real-world challenges to invite awareness, experimentation and reflection. Participants can explore their responses, practise different ways of approaching situations and consider how their learning might apply beyond the immediate experience.
The intention is to support development that has relevance outside the programme itself.
Every experience takes place within a wider environment: a group of people, a particular landscape and a set of practical conditions.
We recognise the importance of understanding those relationships. Communication, empathy, self-management, sound judgement and shared responsibility all contribute to how people navigate challenges together.
Our approach brings these human and environmental considerations into the learning process, while recognising that each participant and experience is different.
Nic Shaw is interested in human development and the ways purposeful adventure can create opportunities for growth. Through Chrysalis Project, this philosophy takes shape in experiences that bring people into contact with challenge, uncertainty, nature and one another.
His work is grounded in creating opportunities for meaningful learning, greater self-awareness, personal responsibility and new ways of relating to the world.rWith a background in art and a career that evolved into logistics and coordination, Carma brings a creative yet highly organised approach to her role as Director of Chrysalis Operations.
She has a deep love for the mountains and a passion for sustainable agriculture and permaculture. Outside work, she enjoys tending her vegetable garden, running, hiking, spending time in nature and attending live music shows.
Hospitality Manager
Indy has been a valued member of Chrysalis Project for seven years. She coordinates food supplies for journeys, ensuring everything is purchased, organised and delivered to the correct campsites. She also assists with activities such as archery and mountain biking.
Beyond Chrysalis, Indy volunteers with Volunteer Wildfire Services, helping protect communities and natural landscapes across the Western Cape.Mountain Guide | Outdoor Education
Kieron has spent a decade exploring mountain ranges across South Africa. He works with young people through outdoor education and guides adults on wilderness adventures.
For Kieron, the mountains offer more than physical challenge. He believes that the experience of carrying a heavy pack uphill, particularly where there is no established path, can create opportunities for personal transformation.
“If I can't find a way, I shall make one.” — Hannibal BarcaMathis is an enthusiastic adventurer with a passion for the outdoors and community work. He brings a friendly, creative approach to the team and is always willing to lend a helping hand.
Beyond the outdoors, he enjoys music, literature and board games.
“Take only memories; leave only footprints.”Jodi's love for the outdoors began during her childhood on a dairy farm, where camping trips and bush holidays nurtured a lasting connection with nature.
Her passion for hiking developed while studying at the University of Cape Town, where she joined the Mountain and Ski Club. Through hiking, she discovered the joy of shared experiences and the opportunity to slow down and be present in the moment.“There is no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing.”
This favourite saying reflects a practical outdoor mindset: prepare well, adapt to the conditions and be ready for what the journey brings.
Jonathan is a passionate outdoorsman with a love for wild places and adventure. He embraces the spirit of exploration and encourages others to keep discovering the natural world.
“Never stop exploding.”
“In the walk with nature one receives far more than he seek.” — John Muir
This quotation captures the possibility of discovering more than we expect through time spent in nature, including new perspectives, unexpected experiences and a deeper appreciation of the world around us.
Registered Cultural Tour Guide
Originally from Mexico and now based in Cape Town, Mitzi is a registered cultural tour guide with a passion for hiking, climbing and outdoor adventure.
Since 2017, her adventures have taken her to mountains and climbing areas across several countries. She speaks English and Spanish and brings a patient, encouraging approach to guiding, helping people build confidence, try something new and connect with nature and one another.
Training and Development | Role to be confirmed
Moses is a Cape Town native with more than 20 years of experience in training and development. His skills span mountain guiding, ropes training, group dynamics, process facilitation and leadership training.
He is also described as a globally certified TRE provider. His experience brings a valuable training and facilitation dimension to the wider team.
I am passionate about the upliftment of the human spirit as it unites every single one of us. I believe that natural environments provide the best setting for developing identity structure, emotional intelligence, self awareness, and similar such core life skills.
"Manhood is patience. Mastery is nine times patience."
