When you talk about the silt in Sump 1, do you mean the silt bank that's straight ahead of you, in line with the passage, or down to the right where the water actually flows? Like I say it was fully open back in June as I dived through, but if the water levels have dropped enough that the silt has slumped down and blocked the actual way through then that's not ideal.
You aren't getting mixed up and thinking the sump normally continues in a straight line?
I'm not sure which ropes you're on about there, is it the Third Streamway (below Sumps C/D)? I've never left ropes there and usually free climb down into it.