In reply to Doug:
Ive also spent many months based around Benasque over the last 35+ years and find the approaches far easier than most of the French villages mentioned (Gavarnie excluded) Luchon is too far from the hills unless you take the cable car up to start walking or get a taxi up to Port de France, Cauterets I always find to be drizzly and a bit dank and an hours walk down valley from the approaches to the mountains at Pont d Espagne
Benasque is, to me anyway,warmer and more welcoming aside from being less expensive.
Re access to hills in Benasque From 1st July until Sept theres buses every half hour /hour`ish to the road head @ Besurta to head towards the Renclusa/Maladeta/Aneto area, A couple of buses a day run up to the Vallbierna hut, For the Estos + Angel Orus huts the trails start 30mins walk from town. Ive only ever once needed a car there and that was during January
Off now to collect my fee from the Aragon tourist board
Post edited at 13:44