In a multi-anchor system, what happens if one anchor fails?

• A. The others will take the load
• B. The system collapses immediately
• C. The load is redistributed to the rope
• D. The anchor can be removed safely

Answer: (A)

Redundancy and load sharing are the idea here. In a multi-anchor setup, several anchors are tied into a single system so they share the load rather than relying on one point. If one anchor fails, the remaining anchors take up the extra force, keeping the system holding. The remaining anchors will have to carry more load and the rope path can shift, so you’d reassess and re-balance if needed. This is why the system isn’t expected to collapse immediately—the other anchors continue to support the load as long as they and the tying method are sound.