Hello Snowgoose,
A few of my mate's have been through HARDNOT PASS I belive it is near Ambleside, a friend and i tried to get through Kirkstone pass in the snow

bad move there where multible crashes no one was going anywhere, by the way there is going a to be some road works in Kirkstone pass soon to make things better for the motorists.
These Lakeland passes are not the best of places for car never mind vans, glad to see you had the sense to turn around and go back well done.