AN SMA PLT WAS UNCLR IN HIS MIND WHAT ATC MEANT WITH 'RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN TERRAIN CLRNC'.

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WE WERE AT 8000 FT. HAD JUST BEEN HANDED OFF TO MRY APCH FOR DSCNT INTO MRY. WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT A VISUAL APCH AT MRY AND TO RPT ARPT IN SIGHT. I ASKED TO BEGIN MY DSCNT; SO AS TO KEEP THE RATE OF DSCNT REASONABLE AND WAS TOLD 'YOU CAN DSND IF YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN TERRAIN CLRNC.' I REPLIED THAT I WOULD ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY; AND BEGAN A DSCNT. REFERRING TO THE SECTIONAL CHART TOLD ME I COULD DSND WITHOUT A TERRAIN PROBLEM; ALTHOUGH ON LATER CONSIDERATION; MY CLRNC MAY HAVE BEEN LESS THAN THE 2000 FT REQUIRED IN MOUNTAINOUS AREA. THE BIGGER PROBLEM WAS THAT I WAS GIVEN NO ALT TO DSND 'TO'. WAS I ALREADY AT THE MVA? HOW LOW COULD I GO? WAS THERE NO TFC BELOW ME THAT NEEDED TO BE SEPARATED FROM ME? THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY VERY QUICKLY AS I GOT VISUAL CONTACT WITH ARPT AND WAS CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH. IF I HAD IT TO DO OVER; I WOULD QUESTION THE CTLR'S RATHER INCOMPLETE CLRNC. WHAT IS THE MVA? HOW LOW CAN I DSND ONCE CLR OF TERRAIN? OR I COULD HAVE REQUESTED A CONTACT APCH BEFORE HAVING ARPT IN SIGHT.