This to me is is the very essence of a Trailhead Town, and contains everything that a serious trekker requires.
Overview: Benasque is at the highest point on the Pyrenean littoral reachable by public transport, and gives immediate acess to all the the major through-routes, together with access to the highest peaks. The entire town is predicated on the needs of walkers, trekkers and climbers.
From Benasque you are but five hours from the Parc National de St Maurici – and then a four-day hike through an extraordinary Lakeland landscape to Espot. Climbers can easily gain Aneto – highest peak in the ramge. Trekkers can also go west and after six or seven days reach the Ordesa canyons.
Access: Via bus from Barbastro. Prior to this the logical option is Barcelona > Lleida or Girona > Lleida. An alternative would be to make your way overv the high pass from France.
Facilities: In addition to the usual banks, ATMs, hardware stores, markets and so forth, Benasque has the flagship Barabes outdoor store. http://www.barrabes.com/qsomos/tiendaBenasque.asp
This is on five floors, with 2,000 sq m and is, to my mind, simply the best outdoor store I’ve ever encountered. I have the greatest respect for the Spanish outdoors community, and in this store they have done themselves proud!
Accomodation: There are innumerable locations within the town – but best to walk 5km north up the road to a Camping Aneto on the left-hand side of the road http://www.campinganeto.com/01_principal.php?lang=EN which is clean, well-run, has a small store and a good restaurant.
Flirting possibilities: Benasque attracts all manner of folk – climbers, trekkers, rafters to name but a few. Something for everyone!
I liked the Benasque area. I rested there for a few days while taking in an attempt at Aneto (too much glaciation) and a trip to Posets. I recommend both – even if you don’t climb Aneto its worth spending a night at the Refuge and sampling the region, and Posets is particularly beautiful. I hitched out to the start of the route near a one horse town where its not easy to find the track (in fact there are 2 options one with a long length of road) and spent a night at the refuge. You can of course walk Posets. Hitching in the valley is remarkably and pleasantly easy. I went up and down it numerous times. I preferred the higher camp site rather than Aneto but everyone seems to like Aneto. If you do want to tackle Aneto I understand you can hire crampons and axes in Benasque.
Andy,
Am I to presume you have yet to experience a Globetrotter store (.de): there are 8 of them in Germany (whose combined turnover is more than the whole of Blacks & Millets)?
rgds