We were attempting the Maroon Bells traverse. After getting unsure of the terrain we turned around just before the third spire of the route. In an attempt to get off the mountain before dark we decided to take the Bell Cord Couloir route which we believed would have melted out by this time of the year. About half way down we encountered the snow field which had not melted out yet. While traversing across the snowfield a rock from above came down the gully and hit one of my my climbing partner’s wrist, breaking it. He was able to get to a flat spot above the gully. 

My other partner traversed lower on the snowfield where there was less snow. I went ahead and started traversing to where my partner who had broken his wrist was. Half way across, the snow I was on gave way sending me tumbling uncontrollably down the gully. My climbing  partner who was traversing lower was able to somehow catch and stop me from continuing to fall down the gully, most likely to my death. 

From there we were able to make it to the flat spot above the gully where I activated my beacon. This allowed Mountain Rescue Aspen and The Colorado National Guard to locate us and provide a helicopter rescue.