2005 Mini non-S crankcase vent hose replacement

[Dees 2005 Mini]

Has anyone replaced the crankcase vent hose on a non-S Mini? I need to perform this on my wife's non-S Mini and for the life of me cannot figure out how to snake the plastic hose thru the intake manifold and behind the dip stick without putting too much stress on it and risking breakage. Do I need to remove the intake manifold? Any suggestions would be appreciated, thank you.