MISCOM BTWN ATC FACILITIES ON ALT ASSIGNMENT. RPTR WAS ASSIGNED 6000 FT; PLT'S DISCRETION; AND WHEN CONTACTING CTR READ BACK THE ALT CLRNC. WHEN REACHING THE HOLDING FIX; RPTR WAS QUERIED BY CTR ABOUT HIS ALT. AND WHEN HE RPTED 6200 FT FOR 6000 FT; THEY SAID HIS CLRNC WAS ONLY TO 7000 FT. RPTR BELIEVES THE HVY TFC OVERWHELMED ATC.

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APPROX 20 DME E OF EPH VOR ON V-120. I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED FROM GRANT COUNTY APCH 'DIRECT EPH VOR TO CRUMM INTXN FOR THE VOR-A APCH AT EAT WITH A PLT'S DISCRETION TO 6000 FT MSL.' PROCEEDING OUTBOUND ON THE 234 DEG RADIAL FROM EPH TO CRUMM INTXN FOR THE VOR-A AT EAT I CHKED ON WITH ZSE; 'LEVEL 8000 FT WITH A PLT'S DISCRETION TO 6000 FT.' SHORTLY THEREAFTER I RPTED OUT OF '8000 FT FOR 6000 FT' AND ZSE ACKNOWLEDGED. THEN ZSE GAVE ME HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS WERE: 'HOLD SE AT CRUMM INTXN ON THE INBOUND RADIAL FOR THE VOR-A APCH AT 6000 FT.' I READ BACK: 'CLRED TO HOLD SE ON THE 105 DEG RADIAL AT CRUMM INTXN AT 6000 FT.' DURING THE CTLR'S HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS SHE SEEMED A LITTLE UNCLR OF THE CLRNC SHE WAS GIVING WITH LONG PAUSES IN BTWN WORDS. ALSO AT THIS TIME THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER ACFT CONVERGING UPON CRUMM INTXN TO HOLD AND ONE ACFT DEPARTING (EAT) WENATCHEE ARPT OUTBOUND ON THE 113 DEG RADIAL. HOW IT WAS DISCOVERED: UPON REACHING CRUMM INTXN ATC ASKED ME WHAT ALT I WAS AT. I RPTED '6200 FT FOR 6000 FT.' ATC THEN TOLD ME THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO 'MAINTAIN 7000 FT.' I THEN REPLIED BACK THAT 'I RECEIVED 6000 FT IN MY LAST CLRNC AND THAT I ALSO RPTED TO ATC OUT 8000 FT FOR 6000 FT.' ATC DID NOT REPLY. CORRECTIVE ACTION: THERE WAS NO CORRECTIVE ACTION MADE. I STAYED AT 6000 FT AND WAS CLRED FOR THE VOR-A APCH SHORTLY THEREAFTER. I'M CERTAIN THAT DUE TO ATC'S SEEMINGLY UNCERTAIN HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS THAT WERE GIVEN AND THE AMOUNT OF TFC CONVERGING UPON CRUMM INTXN TO HOLD; ATC WAS OVERWHELMED AT THE TIME AND THERE WAS A BREAKDOWN IN THE COM PROCESS.