What defines a redundant anchor in rope systems?

• A. A single anchor point with a backup rope attached.
• B. Two independent anchor points sharing load; redundancy reduces risk if one point fails.
• C. Two anchors connected in series to share all load.
• D. A movable anchor that cannot be relied upon.

Answer: (B)

Redundancy in rope systems means having more than one path to hold the load so a failure at one point doesn’t cause a total drop. The best description is two independent anchor points sharing the load; this setup lowers risk because if one anchor fails, the other still holds. Independence matters: each anchor should be able to carry the load on its own, and the load is distributed between them so a single point of failure doesn’t take everything down.

Why the other ideas don’t fit: a single anchor with a backup rope often isn’t true redundancy if both ropes rely on the same anchor or feature, leaving a single point of failure. Connecting two anchors in series means the load passes through both; if the first gives way, the second can’t keep the system supported. A movable anchor that cannot be reliably depended on provides no stable, two-path safety, so it isn’t redundancy.