UNANTICIPATED ARRIVAL PROCEDURE AND LATE RWY CHANGE DISTRACT A319 CREW FROM CROSSING RESTRICTION.

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NEARING DEN; WE WERE ANTICIPATING CLEARANCE FOR THE RAMMS 5 ARRIVAL. IN THE DESCENT; WE WERE INSTEAD CLEARED TO INTERCEPT THE DVV R 311 (WHICH IS BASICALLY THE SAME THING) BUT WITH NO XING RESTRICTIONS AT THAT TIME. DURING THE QUICK DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT THIS CLEARANCE ACTUALLY MEANT AND SETTING UP FOR A RUNWAY CHANGE; I SIMPLY DID NOT HEAR THE CROSS RAMMS 250 DEG/17000 FT TRANSMISSION. THE FO THEN ALERTED ME TO THE ALT RESTRICTION AND I REALIZED THAT WE WOULD BE CROSSING RAMMS ON SPEED BUT APPROX 3000 FT HIGH. WE INFORMED ATC OF THIS AND ASKED FOR ALT RELIEF. ATC SAID NO PROBLEM AND CLEARED US TO 14000 FT. I ATTRIBUTE THIS ERROR TO EXPECTING A STANDARD CLEARANCE AND GETTING DISTRACTED BY BOTH AN UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL INSTRUCTION AND A LATE RUNWAY CHANGE. MY LEARNED LESSON -- BE ON THE ALERT FOR CLEARANCE; RWY CHANGES AND STAY FOCUSED ON ALT/SPEED CONSTRAINTS.SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 770355: ALTHOUGH THE FO READ BACK THE CLRNC CORRECTLY; THE CAPT (PF) WAS BUSY INTERCEPTING THE RADIAL AND MAY NOT HAVE HEARD THE FULL CROSSING RESTRICTION.