In July 1856, the Viennese physician Sigmund Porges had climbed the Jungfrau with the Grindelwald guide Christian Almer.
They had another bivouac an hour below the Mönchjoch (pass) and finally summited Mönch at 3 pm on 15 August, after Kaufmann and his fellow guides had cut 300 steps in ice.
[3] In 1882, Kaufmann undertook the first attempted ascent of Aoraki / Mount Cook with William Spotswood Green (an Irish priest, marine biologist and member of the Alpine Club), and Emil Boss (an alpinist and hotelier who was also from Grindelwald).
[5] In 1883, he and Emil Boss took part in the first climbing expedition in the Himalayas, led by William Woodman Graham.
However, their ascent to 30 feet below the east summit of Kabru 7,338 metres (24,075 ft) south of Kangchenjunga in October of that year is now considered quite likely.