AN A320 FLT CREW EXPERIENCED ECAM 'LNDG GEAR SHOCK ABSORBER FAULT' MESSAGE. THEY RAN THE PROCEDURE; COORDINATED WITH MAINT; AND RETURNED TO THEIR DEPT ARPT.

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DEPARTING ZZZ. DURING OUR INITIAL CLB I CALLED FOR 'GEAR UP' BUT THE FO WAS UNABLE TO RAISE THE GEAR HANDLE. HE MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WITH NO SUCCESS. THEN WE GOT AN ECAM MESSAGE 'LNDG GEAR SHOCK ABSORBER FAULT.' 'MAX SPD 280 KTS; LNDG GEAR KEEP DOWN.' I ASKED THE FO TO RUN THE ECAM AS I CONTINUED TO FLY THE AIRPLANE. WE ADVISED THE TWR THAT WE HAD A PROB WITH THE GEAR AND THAT WE WOULD BE COMING BACK. WE CONTACTED DEP AND EXPLAINED OUR GEAR ISSUE AND REQUESTED A PLACE TO HOLD WHILE WE WORKED THE ISSUE. WE WERE GIVEN A HOLD AT ZZZ VOR. I WAS STILL FLYING THE AIRPLANE SO I ASKED THE FO TO CONTACT DISPATCH AND HAVE DISPATCH TIE MAINT IN AS WELL. WE WERE ESTABLISHED IN THE HOLD FLYING MANUALLY BECAUSE THE AUTOFLT SYS WAS NOT WORKING. I SUSPECT THAT OUR GEAR ISSUE WAS CAUSING THE AIRPLANE TO THINK IT WAS STILL ON THE GND. DURING ONE OF THE TURNS NBOUND TOWARD ZZZ VOR; I GOT A CALL FROM THE FLT ATTENDANTS. I DIVERTED MY ATTN TO RESPOND TO THEM TO LET THEM KNOW WE WOULD BE WITH THEM IN A MOMENT WHEN I NOTICED MY ALT WAS 4700 FT -- 300 FT BELOW OUR ASSIGNED ALT. I RETURNED TO 5000 FT AND REFOCUSED MY FULL ATTN TO FLYING THE AIRPLANE. MAINT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE NOSEWHEEL MIGHT BE TURNED 90 DEGS. IT WAS AGREED UPON THAT WE WOULD FLY BY THE TWR TO GET CONFIRMATION OF THE NOSEWHEEL POS. BECAUSE IT WAS GETTING CLOSE TO DARK I WANTED TO RETURN ASAP SO THAT THE TWR WOULD HAVE SUFFICIENT LIGHT TO SEE OUR NOSE GEAR. WE SET UP FOR A LOW APCH TO RWY 19L AND COMPLETED THE APCH DSCNT CHKLIST. OUR FLY-BY CONFIRMED THAT THE NOSEWHEEL WAS IN THE NORMAL POS AND WE EXECUTED A GAR. WE FLEW S APPROX 5 MI TO GIVE US TIME TO COMPLETE THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS INCLUDING THE OVERWT LNDG CHKLIST. MAX LNDG WT 142.2 AND OUR LNDG WT WAS 153.0. WE RETURNED FOR A L DOWNWIND AND VISUAL APCH FOR RWY XXL. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND AS WE TURNED OFF THE RWY; I BROUGHT THE AIRPLANE TO A STOP. THE EMER EQUIP OPERATOR REQUESTED TO VISUALLY INSPECT THE AIRPLANE. THEY SAID EVERYTHING LOOKED GOOD AND WE TAXIED TO THE GATE.