ALTDEV.

Narrative

ENRTE DEN-LAX; WE HAD BEEN CLRED 'INS DIRECT CIVET; EXPECT CIVET 1 ARR LAX.' AFTER SEVERAL STEP-DOWN ALT CLRNCS; WE WERE CLRED TO 14000 FT WHICH IS THE XING RESTR AT CIVET. TYPICALLY; THE NEXT CLRNC IS 'CLRED CIVET 1 ARR;' AT WHICH POINT YOU CROSS CIVET AT 14000 FT AND DSND TO 12000 FT. INSTEAD THE CTLR CLRED US TO 'CROSS 44 DME E OF LAX VOR AT 14000 FT; DSND TO CROSS ARNES AT 10000 FT.' (CAPT AND FO ARE BOTH ON THE RWY 25L ILS AT THIS TIME). AT CIVET; (52 ILS DME) WE LEFT 14000 FT FOR 10000 FT. LEAVING 13000 FT; THE CTLR TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 14000 FT. AT THIS POINT; WE WERE WITHIN THE LAX 44 DME AND WE ASKED IF WE COULD CONTINUE TO 10000 FT. HE WAS AGREEABLE. WHEN I QUERIED HIM ABOUT THE ALT; HE CONFIRMED THAT WE WERE TO MAINTAIN 14000 FT UNTIL THE LAX 44 DME. HE ALSO SAID THERE WAS NO PROB OR CONFLICT -- WHILE I ACCEPT FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE EXCURSION. THE ATC CLRNC WAS VERY UNUSUAL AND NOT IN CONFORMANCE WITH THE USUAL CIVET ARR. NEITHER I; MY 2 FELLOW PLTS; OR THE CHK-PLT GIVING ME AN ANNUAL ENRTE CHK CAUGHT THE ERROR.