In March 1879, Peter Kaufmann began his own career as a certified mountain guide. He had successfully fulfilled the requirements of the licensing body for Swiss guides in Interlaken. After instruction in various matters connected with the mountains, their geography, as well as the dangers connected with snow, ice, glaciers, and rock such as the perils of couloirs, hidden crevasses, bergschrunds, and snow bridges, he had been schooled in first-aid, including treatment and careful transportation of the injured. Moreover, he was expected to know how to avoid accidents and how to act prudently in the event of one. He was required to be thoroughly acquainted with the mountains of his particular district, the Bernese Alps, and, in a climbing test, he had to demonstrate his knowledge of the routes, the times needed for ascents, the position of peaks and passes, the use compasses and maps, ropes and ice-picks, such as step-cutting. Moreover, he needed to show that he had in him the makings of a complete counselor and guardian angel to the climbers under his charge, showing exemplary behavior at the club huts. After this rigorous training and testing, he was qualified to become an official mountain guide, so that the Governing Body of the District Authority in Interlaken certified him as a licensed guide and issued a paginated, leather-bound book (Führerbuch) in which his future clients could write their comments.