I'm also stuck here, even after reading the tips in that thread (some of which don't seem to work in the current version of DM); I just can't swing enough to reach the second rope. I may be close to the floor but I still take damage when falling; the real issue is being seen by the zombie as it turns around.
As far as AI Awareness, I always have vision at 3/4 and hearing at 1/4 (since my own footsteps seem to be much softer to me than they are in the world). Do different enemy types have scales within that? Like would an old person have less acute senses than a young person?