Energy highs and lows

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Performance: Participants in the Patrouille des Glaciers complete a gruelling mountaineering race over 53 kilometres along the Swiss-Italian border from Zermatt to Verbier on April 18. (Valentin Flauraud/Keystone) KEYSTONE/ VALENTIN FLAURAUD

Powerful: 5,000 plastic children’s swim rings were scattered across 3,500m2 of the Piazza Grande in Locarno on March 31. The installation, called Apolide (stateless) and by Swiss artist Oppy de Bernando, was to highlight the plight of the many refugees who have drowned in the Mediterranean. (Gabriele Putzu/Ti-Press) © Ti-Press

Energetic: Doris Leuthard, energy minister since 2010, speaks during the opening of the European Energy Transition Conference in Geneva on January 30. Leuthard is stepping down from the cabinet at the end of the year. She has been praised for helping change energy policy and for orchestrating Switzerland’s gradual withdrawal from nuclear energy. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone) © KEYSTONE / SALVATORE DI NOLFI

Vote power: Part of Swiss voting papers, which all Swiss citizens receive. In 2018 the electorate voted 13 times at federal level. (Christian Beutler/Keystone) © KEYSTONE / CHRISTIAN BEUTLER

Assets: Alpine Mining co founder Theo Martinet at a cryptocurrency mine in the small alpine village of Gondo on May 7. The village, once the centre of gold mining activities over a century ago, has now attracted cryptocurrency mining computing centres, thanks to its electricity prices being among the lowest in Switzerland. (Valentin Flauraud/Keystone) KEYSTONE/ VALENTIN FLAURAUD

Vitality: Seniors at a Pro Senectute fitness course in Lucerne on October 29. The non-profit Pro Senectute was founded in 1917 and is dedicated to the well-being, dignity and rights of the older people. (Gaetan Bally/Keystone) © KEYSTONE / GAETAN BALLY

Boost: An injured cow is airlifted by helicopter from the Klausen Pass back into the valley on August 24. (Urs Flüeler/Keystone) © KEYSTONE / URS FLUEELER

Dynamic: Teams during the men's eight at the rowing World Cup on Lake Rotsee in Lucerne, on July 14. Lake Rotsee is the only natural lake worldwide that is perfect for rowing. At 2.5km in length, it’s ideal for races, which are 2km long. (Alexandra Wey/Keystone) © KEYSTONE / ALEXANDRA WEY

Dazzling: There will be 228 lunar eclipses in the 21st century, according to NASA, of which 86 will be total eclipses. A spectacular example was seen behind the Säntis mountain on July 27. (Christian Merz/Keystone) © KEYSTONE / CHRISTIAN MERZ

Impact: Months of low rainfall has resulted in some lakes drying out in Switzerland, such as the Lac des Brenets, on the Swiss-French border, as seen on October 26. (Anthony Anex/Keystone) KEYSTONE / ANTHONY ANEX

Strength: Two women fight in a bout of Swiss traditional wrestling, known as Schwingen, at the Women and Girl’s Swiss Wresting Festival on August 25 at Uezwil in canton Aargau. The first Women’s Swiss Wresting Festival took pace in 1980. (Urs Flüeler/Keystone) © KEYSTONE / URS FLUEELER

Vitality: Irene Yang from Canada performs her contemporary variation during the final of the 46th Prix de Lausanne on February 3. Launched in 1973, the Prix de Lausanne is an international dance competition for young dancers aged 15 to 18. (Valentin Flaurand/Keystone) KEYSTONE/ VALENTIN FLAURAUD

Drive: Breakthrough! Jubilant tunnel miners pose for a picture after finishing three years of tunnelling work at the 5,860-metre long Albula Tunnel on October 2. The new tunnel is on the Chur – Thusis – St Moritz route and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Gian Ehrenzeller/keystone) © KEYSTONE / Gian Ehrenzeller

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For some people, 2018 was energising, but others found the summer heat very draining. Here’s our look back at the past 365 days, using some of the year’s most powerful images.

We had the Sun’s energy in abundance this year: summer was hot, long and very dry. Water levels in Swiss lakes and rivers got low. The heat caused water temperatures to rise and resulted in an even more intense melting of Alpine glaciers.

But the heatwave also increased mineral water and beer profits. Open-air swimming pools were full to bursting with people seeking to beat the heat. Mountain regions benefited too as people enjoyed the cooler temperatures of the mountain lakes and gorges.

Heat at the ballot boxes

The year was marked by heated vote campaigns, such as for the proposal to abolish the mandatory licence fee for Swiss public broadcasters or the “Swiss law first” initiative, both of which did not get through at the ballot box (the licence fee proposal was rejected by 71.6% voters in spring and the law initiative by 66.2% in autumn).

Women’s power

The Swiss Federal Council, the country’s governing body, received a boost in December after Karin Keller-Sutter and Viola Amherd were elected  – the first time in Swiss history that two women have made it into the cabinet at the same time. This means that from 2019 there will be three women and four men sitting in government.

Dazzling blood moon

Summer saw a rare, but spectacular natural phenomenon  – the blood moon lunar eclipse, the longest of its kind of the 21^st century. We’ll have to wait until June 9, 2023 for the next one of a similar length.